Safety device for bank vaults



B. F. GRAY ET AL SAFETY DEVICE FOR BANK VAULTS Feb. 26 1924.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 6. 1921 fl. Jmorrifiortmvsmon BY I E. G ray WITNESS:

ATTORNEY Feb. 26 1924.

B. F. GRAY ET AL SAFETY D EVICE FOR BANK VAULTS Filed ,Dec. 6, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 B. F. G y

' 1 #1 M mara;

ATTORNEY WITNESS:

Patented Feb. 2%, i324.

lAdJiZ BENJAMIN F. GRAY AND ANDREW (I. MORBISSON, OF VALERAA, TEXAS.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR, BANK VAULTS.

Application filed. December 6, 1921. Serial No. 520,328.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, BENJAMIN F. GRAY and ANDREW J. MORRISSON, citizens of the United States, residing at Valera, in the county of Coleman and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Bank Vaults, of which the following is a specification.

Our present invention has reference to a safety device for bank vaults and is in the nature of a means for preventing the throwing of the locking bars, and consequently preventing the operation of the combination lock except by authorized persons.

Our improvement is devised for preventing bank employees from being forcibly locked inside of the bank vault, and in carrying out our invention it is our aim to arrange in the casing for the vault door spring influenced slidable means which normally cover the openings therein that receive the lock bolts, so that the said bolts cannot be shot or thrown until the said obstructing means is manually operated to bring the same to non-bolt obstructing positions.

It is also our purpose to produce a means for preventing bank employees from being accidentally or intentionally locked in a bank vault that comprise spring influenced $9 notched members arranged for slidable movement in the casing to positions to obstruct the passage of the bolts through the openings in the casing provided therefor, and said members being movable by a key and held in a position whereby the notches thereof will be arranged opposite the bolt receiving openings whereby, when the bolts are thrown to locking position, the same will contact with the notched portions of the said members to swing the same to bring the said members out of engagement with the means that hold the same in retracted position, so that when the vault door is again opened the members will be automatically rear- 4 ranged in bolt obstructing position.

We accomplish the foregoing and other objects which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, by a construction, combination and operative association of parts, such as is disclosed by the drawings which accompanyand which form part of'this specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view through a bank vault with the door open.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation with parts broken away and parts in section and showing the obstructing members in the path of contact with the bolts of the door to prevent locking the door.

Figure 3 is a similar view but showing the door closed and locked.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the manner in which the spring influences the bolt obstructing member to bolt obstructing position, the bolt being illustrated by the dotted lines.

Figure 5 is a view illustrating the manner in which the key is employed for operating the bolt obstructing member.

Figure 6 is a view of the key.

Referring now to the drawings indetail, the numeral 1 designates a bank vault, 2 the stepped portions at the opening which provides the door casing, and 3 the door. In the showing of the drawings, we have illus trated only one door, but as is common in bank vault constructions, the same are usually provided with two doors, and it will be apparent as the description progresses that the improvement is equally efiective on one or two doors.

On the stepped portion of the door casing that is provided with the openings for the bolts 4 which are slidable through the stepped edge of the door, we secure in any desired or preferred manner our improvement. lhe casing of our improvement may be let in slots in the door casing, or may be simply screwed to the stepped portion thereof. Our improvement is designed for use upon difierent sized door casings, and therefore the casing or housing 5 of our device is constructed of two sections which are telescopically or slidably associated and which have slidable means for holding the sections properly adjusted on each other. The housing 5 is substantially rectangular in cross section.

The outer face 8 of the housing is provided with openings 9 respectively which are arranged to receive therethrough the bolts 4 when the said bolts are operated to lock the door 3 in the casing. At a suitable distance from one end of each of the openings 9 the outer or face plate 8 of the housing 5 has on its inner surface an inwardly extended lug 10.

Arranged for slidable movement in the housing are block-like bolt obstructing members 11 respectively. Each of these members is influenced by a spring 13 to bring the same in a position to cover the opening 9, and thus prevent the entrance of the bolts rthrough the said. openings. Each of the members 11 has one of its cornersnotched, as at 14 and is provided witha transversely arranged elongated slot 15. Through the sides of the housing 5 and through the slots 15 of the obstructing members there are guide members or pins 16. o r

The outer face of the housing, from the opposed end walls provided by the bolt openings 9 are slotted, as at 17 for the reception of the bit end 18 of a key 19. The key, when inserted in one of the slots can be brought to engage with the inner wallprovidedby the notch 14 to move the member 11 against the influence of the spring 13 and by virtue of the contact of one of the walls of the slots 15 with the guide members 16, the shoulder of the said member will be brought to engage with the lug 10, thus holding the body of the member away from obstructing position with respect to the opening 9, but at the same time arranging the wall 20 provided by the notch 14 in a position to be contacted by the bolt 1 of the door 3. When the members 11 are in such position, the bolts 4 may be shot to locking position. When in such position, the bolts will contact withthe walls 20 and tilt each of the members 11 sufficient to bring the shoulders 21 which provide the inner walls of the notches 14 above or out of engage.-

ment with the lugs 10, and allow the springs 13 to throw or longitudinally move the bolt obstructing members 11 to bolt obstructing position when the bolts have been retracted and the door opened.

It will, of course, be obvious to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates that the combination lock of a bank door cannot be operated until the bolts are thrown to locking position, and therefore it will be im ossible for a bank robber to force a cler into a vault and to lock him therein unless he is acquainted with the construction and operation of our improve ment. Even with such knowledge, it would require the use of the key for the proper operation of the obstructing members 11, and these keys are designed to be carried by only authorized persons in the bank. It is also thought that the foregoing description,

when taken in connection with the drawings will fully set forth theconstruction, operation and advantages of the improvement and that further detailed description will not be required.

Having described the invention, we claim 1. In combination with a bank vault, of

means for preventing the accidental throwing of the bolts on the door in locking position in the casing for the door, comprising a housing constructed of'adjustable sections secured on thecasing and having openings to receive the bolts therethrough, spring influenced notched members in the housing susceptible of a longitudinal and tilting.

casing for the door, comprising an adjustable housing secured in the casing and hav ing openings in a line. with the bolts, said housing being slotted from the opposed end walls provided by the ;openings, notched block-like members in the housing, spring means influencing the members to bring the,

same over the openings, said members having transverse elongated slots,- guide means 7 arranged transversely through the housing and received in the slots, lugs in the casing,

means, comprising aikey designed to have its bit inserted through the slots to engage with the members to move the same against the pressure of their springs to cause the shoulders provided by the notches of the said members to be engaged by the lugs and for retaining the notched portions of the members opposite the openings, and said portions of said members designed tov be contacted by the bolts of the door when the said bolts are thrown to swing the members to bring the same out of engagement with the lugs.

3. The combination with a safe having a hinged door and a sliding lock bolt, "of an open position lock comprising a casing and a vertically movable lock-bolt-intercepting plunger mounted therein and arranged to be forced up into said casing out of the path of movement of said lock bolt but to drop into the path of movement of said lock bolt and therebyprevent said lock bolt from being forced to a door-looking posie tion. V

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

BENJAMIN r. GR Y; ANDREW J. onnrsson; 

